No, I don't mean the movie starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn. Though a very good movie, I'm speaking more of "Hot" in the erotic sense.
A few weeks ago, my crit partner, Antonia, and I were on IM discussing different subgenres and labeling thereof. I mentioned something about working on a book that was futuristic or sci-fi but was also extremely hot. How would one classify such a hybrid? Is it futurotica, or scifotica? The reason the topic came up was because I was thinking about where my strengths are in writing, and I determined I seem to get the best reviews and responses from my sci-fi/futuristics that also happen to be erotic romances. I wanted to write to my strengths. Now, I don't usually feel a pressing need to categorize myself - I usually like to write the story and sort out exactly where it belongs later - but it is nice to know going into a project where it's going to fall on a bookstore shelf. It also helps to know where to target it to editors and/or agents.
This entire discussion got me thinking of other erotic romance subgenres. How about fantrotica? That would be the melding of fantasy and erotic genres. Though I've read some fantasy that had subject matter that got very close to the line of what most erotic romance publishers would consider hitting their "squickometer," I don't think I've ever read a novel that was fantasy and erotic combined. (And I don't consider the 'Beauty' series by Anne Rice fantasy) I'm talking more of the DAW, TOR, or Baen type of fantasy. Love scenes in such novels, if done with open bedroom door, tends to be done as if the reader were watching from their periphery. I thinking more along the lines of full on love scenes, complete with erotic set up and language. I do have one I'm in the process of writing, but I wonder at the reception it will receive. However, where it does have open door sex with graphic language it's also probably 50% intrigue and military strategy.
What would be your reception to the hotter side of fantasy? (Not to be confused with sexual fantasies, which is an entirely different discussion.) Sword, Sorcery and Sex. Oooooooo...I think I just found my new tagline!!!
Let's hear what you think.
-Kat
Step Into The Mists with our adventurous band of award-winning authors to otherworlds of paranormal, SF, fantasy and speculative romance. Nervous? Don't be. The creatures that live here are friendly. Most of the time... This blog is for age 18 and over only.
2 comments:
To read fantasy erotica, you should read the Kushiel series, or Merry Gentry.
As for labels like "fantrotica", they don't really work for me. kinda sounds like a disease? i really like EC's label "romantica" and from there... just add the fiction genre. It can be a mouthful.
btw- I've tried to email you Mystic Kat, to talk runes, but RD's private message system doesn't seem to be working.
I ended up on your blog site because I just created the fantrotica account on twitter and wondered what google would pull up. Your article addresses a problem that I've been struggling with for the last year.
I write fantasy fiction with erotic elements or fantasy fiction for adults, or fantrotica or erotic fantasy fiction or fantasyXXX. Not romantica or any of the other less specific names people have tried to label it with. The primary focus is fantasy fiction but, by fan request, the bedroom door is open and the scenes are explicit.
My dilemma lies in not only what to call this type of fiction but who and where to market to. Do I market to the erotica readers even though the book doesn't contain enough sex scenes to be called erotica or do I market to the fantasy fiction market where people expect desexed scenes that seem to have been written in the 1960s? In one case I disappoint people and in the other I offend them.
I think it's time for some new classifications so that readers, and writers, can find what they want and know what they are getting. Thank you for your article. I'm definitely going to share it. And please feel free to contact me. Especially if it's to do with this subject.
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